WB Govt mulls amendment to Panchayat Act, 1973

Kolkata: West Bengal government has been
contemplating amendment to the present Panchayat Act, 1973, to
remove some lacunae in it.

``We think there are some lacunae in the present Act
and in view of this, we are considering amendment to the
Panchayat Act, 1973``, state`s Panchayat minister Subrata
Mukherjee told reporters at Writers` Buildings.

Incidentally, Mukherjee was the Panchayat minister in
the S S Ray cabinet in 1973 when the Act was passed by the
state assembly.

Mukherjee said that under the present Panchayat Act,
if the state government dissolves any panchayat or zila
parishad, then election has to be completed there within six
months. The general member ceases to function, but
office-bearers continue to remain till the end of their term
under the present Act, he added.

The minister said he would elaborate on this issue
with the party and also with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
at the end of the current budget session of the state
Assembly.

He evaded a reply when asked if the state government
was considering preponing the Panchayat election slated next
year.

The government has already issued a notification
empowering district magistrates of North 24-Parganas,
Murshidabad and Nadia with running the CPI(M) run zilla
parishads instead of the zilla sabhadhipatis.

Mukherjee said that the Centre had informed the state
government of its decision to hike the wage for 100-day work
from Rs 100 to Rs 136.

He said he would leave for Delhi tomorrow to meet the
Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh to demand that
the wage of 100-day work be raised to Rs 200.